1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a waste container, and more specifically, to a waste container having a dump handle for ease of lifting and dumping the contents of the waste container.
2. Description of Related Art
With the advent of curbside residential waste collection, large capacity waste containers have become more popular. Typically, the waste containers are supported by wheels mounted on an axle so that they can be easily moved to the curbside prior to the predetermined collection time. The waste containers typically comprise a body to which is pivotally mounted a lid. The lid is often pivotally mounted to an integrally molded handle extending from the body.
The waste in the waste container can be collected in many different ways. Some systems use a lifting bar that is attached to the waste collection vehicle to lift and invert the waste container so that the lid pivots to an open position and the contents of the waste container are disposed in the collection vehicle.
The waste can also be collected by a purely manual method in which a person lifts and inverts a waste container to dump the contents into the collection vehicle. Typically, the waste collection person grasps the handle to which the lid is pivotally mounted and a lower portion of the waste container to lift and invert the waste container. Often, there is no special hand hold for the waste collection person to grasp near the lower portion of the container body, making the lifting and the inverting of the waste container difficult.
It is desirable that the waste container have a suitable lower hand hold in opposing relationship to the upper handle so that the waste container can be easily lifted and inverted by a waste collection person. It is also desirable that the hand hold be simple and mounted to or integral with the body of the waste container. The waste container and handle are preferably manufactured by a suitable molding process, such as injection molding, roto-molding, or blow-molding.